Kwame Bediako, Promoter of Africa Christian Thought

Abstract

Kwame Bediako (1945–2008) was an influential African Christian theologian. Bediako’s theological achievements have received a fair amount of scrutiny, but his work as an organizer, promoter, developer, and sustainer of Christian thinking is arguably at least as valuable as his ideas. This article surveys the scope of what Kwame Bediako achieved as a Christian intellectual entrepreneur, it examines how he did it, and it explains why such work is so important. This essay traces the development of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission, and Culture, the formation of networks and resourcing initiatives for Christian thought in Africa and beyond, and Bediako’s methods as an intellectual agent. The strategic importance of these efforts is enormous. Bediako’s achievements should challenge others to do their part to strengthen the infrastructure of Christian thought, in Africa and worldwide.